The invention relates generally to electronic document management.
In a conventional electronic document management system environment, electronic content that is delivered to requesting users (or subscribers) by a server or system manager is encrypted with an encryption key. To open a document, a user requires an appropriate decryption key. There are a number of different ways of obtaining the decryption key. For example, the decryption key can be synthesized from a rights management file (RMF) or license on the user's system. Because the RMF is specific to the environment to which it was issued, the RMF that is valid to open a document on one user's system does not allow that same document to be opened on a different user's system. It is therefore necessary for a user to have a separate RMF for every document to which that user requires access or purchases. It is further necessary for the user to acquire an RMF or license from the server each time that user attempts to open a document for the first time.